Hammer head mounting



July 30, 1968 A. G. KUCHINS HAMMER HEAD MOUNTING Filed May 16, 1967 710%, 444? yd? aw dTTOMEY-f United States Patent 3,394,745 HAMMER HEAD MOUNTING Albin G. Kuchins, Rockford, Ill., assignor of one-half to Raymond La Mantia, Rockford, 111., Filed May 16, 1967, Ser. No. 638,835 3 Claims. (Cl. 145-36) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A soft head hammer having a handle with a tapered outer end telescoped into a correspondingly tapered section of a through-hole in the head and anchored on the head by a socket bolt threaded into the outer end of the handle from the opposite side of the head. The bolt has a head that is recessed into the hammer head and abuts against an annular shoulder in the through-hole, and a key is formed in the wall of the tapered hole section to interfit with a groove on tthe tapered portion of the handle to coact with the bolt in .anchoring the head securely on the handle despite the tendency of the head metal to become deformed in service use.

Background of the invention This invention relates to the mounting of hammer heads on handles and, more particularly, to the mounting of so-called soft heads on multipurpose hammers used in industry to drive parts without damaging the parts so driven. The heads of such hammers are composed of relatively soft metals that become deformed in service use and thus frequently have to be renewed.

Summary of the invention The primary object of the present invention is to mount hammer heads on handles in a novel manner that facilitates the removal and replacement of the heads when necessary, while locking the heads securely on the handles and holding the heads in place despite severe shocks and resulting tendency to become deformed in service use. Instead of the usual remolding of heads on the hammers, the present invention uses an easily removable fastener threaded into the handle through a hole in the head and coacting with tapered sections of the hole and the handle, and key-locking means thereon, to anchor the head both axially and angularly in place.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Brief description 0] the drawings FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a hammer embodying the novel features of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the hammer, partly broken away and shown in crosssection.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-section taken substantially along the line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to part of FIG. 2 but taken in a different plane spaced ninety degrees from the plane of FIG. 2.

Description of the preferred embodiment As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, the invention is embodied in a soft head hammer having a handle formed by a contoured grip 11 and a shank 12 with the hammer head 13 secured to the free outer end portion of the shank. The latter preferably is a steel tube and the grip is cast of aluminum or other suitable material and permanently mounted on the shank as an incident to the casting operation. The head 13 is 3,394,745 Patented July 30, 1968 of the usual barrel shape with substantially fiat hammering ends 14, and is composed of one of the several soft metals used for such heads, preferably brass, copper or a zinc alloy which are materials somewhat harder than the sometimes used lead and Babbitt materials.

The common practice has been to cast such heads directly onto the handles of the hammers, or to use special strap mountings wrapped around the heads and fastened to the handles to insure that the heads do not become loose in service use. This makes renewal of the heads a difiicult operation that usually requires the return of the hammers to the manufacturer.

In accordance with the present invention, an easily removable fastener 15 is threaded into the end of the handle through a hole 17 in the head 13 and coacts in a novel manner with the head and the handle to anchor the head both axially and angularly in place, forming a rugged, but simple, releasable connection that withstands the normal stresses to which the hammer is subjected in service use. For this purpose, the outer end portion 18 of the shank 12 and the adjacent section 17 of the hole 17 are correspondingly tapered and formed with key-locking elements that interfit with each other when the shank is drawn tightly into the head by the fastener 15. The tapered sections provide an initially tight clamping fit and the key-locking elements prevent the head from turning on the shank and working loose as a result of the impacts produced in service use.

In the present instance, the hole 17 is formed midway between the ends 14 of the head 13 and comprises the section 17 which is conically tapered and of basically circular cross-sectional shape in one side of the head, and a coaxial second section 17 formed in the opposite side of the head and having a cylindrical shape, the two sections being joined together by a central passage indicated by the number 17 that is smaller in area than the adjacent ends of the two sections 17 and 17 This forms an annular shoulder 19 at the inner end of the cylindrical section and another shoulder 20 at the inner end of the tapered section.

The tapered outer end portion 18 of the shank 12 also is of basically circular cross-sectional shape and is substantially wider, or larger in diameter, at its free end than the smallest diameter of the tapered hole section 17, but considerably smaller in diameter than the wider end of the hole section. Accordingly, the shank fits freely into the head and extends upwardly to a point short of the shoulder 20. Along one side of the tapered portion of the shank is a groove 21 (FIGS. 2 and 3) which extends longitudinally of the shank, and a longitudinal key 22 is cast integrally with the head on one side of the wall of the tapered hole section to fit into the groove when the shank is properly inserted in the head.

As shown herein, the fastener 15 preferably is a socket bolt having a head 23 sized to fit into the cylindrical hole section 17*, and is long enough to reach through the connecting passage 17 and be threaded into a threaded opening 24 in the outer end of the shank 12. As the fastener is tightened with a suitable tool (not shown), the opposed abutments formed by the shoulder 19 and the underside of the bolt head 23 coact to draw the shank tightly into the tapered hole section 17 and complete the anchoring of the head on the shank. At the same time, the key 22 is pressed tightly into the groove 21. It will be seen that the key-locking elements effectively change both the hole section 17 and the tapered portion 18 of the shank to non-circular cross-sectional shapes which prevent rotation of the head on the handle and thus cooperate with the fastener in holding the head against working loose as a result of the impacts to which the head is subjected in use.

Changing of heads, when necessary, is accomplished simply by removing the bolt 15, knocking the old head off the shank 12, and attaching a new head 13 in the manner described above. Thus, the user may keep a readily available supply of extra heads and avoid the delay and inconvenience involved in returning hammers to the manufacturer for renewal while, at the same time, having a highly serviceable hammer.

From the foregoing, it will be evident that the present invention greatly facilitates the renewal of heads 13 on soft head hammers by providing a novel combination of locking elements that make it practical to use a simple threaded fastener 15 to hold such heads in place.

I claim as my invention:

1. A soft head hammer having, in combination, a handle including a shank terminating in an outwardly tapered outer end portion of circular cross-section formed with a threaded opening in the outer end of the shank, a head composed of relatively soft metal mounted on said free end portion and having a hole extending through the head midway between its ends, said hole comprising a first section of inwardly tapered circular cross-section telescoped over said outer end portion and narrower at its inner end than said outer end, and a coaxial passage extending from said inner end of said first section to the opposite side of said head, said hole having an enlarged end portion forming a second section at said opposite side and defining an annular shoulder facing toward said opposite side within said second section, a socket bolt threaded into said opening and having a head disposed within said second section and abutting against said shoulder thereby to draw said shank tightly into said first section, a longitudinal groove formed in said tapered outer end portion, and a longitudinal key on said head in said first hole section interfitting tightly with said groove when said shank is drawn into the head and thereby anchoring the head tightly but releasably on said handle.

2. A hammer having, in combination, a handle including a shank terminating in a tapered free end portion and formed with a threaded opening in the free end of the shank, a head mounted on said free end portion and having a hole extending through the head between its ends, said hole including a tapered section opening through one side of said head and telescoping over said free end portion, said tapered section and said free end portion being of complementary non-circular cross-sectional shape and the inner end of said tapered section being substantially narrower than said free end, and a coaxial passage extending from said tapered section to the opposite side of the head, a threaded fastener inserted into said hole from said opposite side and threaded into said opening, a first abutment surface on said fastener facing toward said free end, and a second abutment surface on said head facing away from said free end and opposing said first surface whereby tightening of the fastener draws said free end portion tightly into said tapered section to lock the head removably on said handle.

3. A hammer as defined in claim 2 in which said free end portion and said first section are conically tapered and include a longitudinal groove formed in one side of said free end portion and a longitudinal key formed on the side of said tapered section and interfitting with said groove to lock the head on said shank when said free end portion is drawn in by said fastener.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 673,772 5/1901 Hall -61 896,512 8/1908 Blauch 7-8 1,075,108 10/1913 Keller 145-61 1,164,092 12/1915 Higgs 145-61 2,795,443 6/ 1957 Gratzmuller 287-53 3,211,198 10/1965 Glasgow 145-29 ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner. R. V. PARKER, JR., Assistant Examiner. 

